Even after an incredible 65-year career in the world of entertainment, Marion Ross, the beloved star of Happy Days, wasn’t initially keen on penning her memoir. "I've always been proud of living a nice, careful life," she exclusively reveals to Closer Weekly. "It's not exactly the stuff of drama." But when her talented son, Jim Meskimen, encouraged her, memories began flooding back, like the time she brought legendary actor Cary Grant to tears on the set of the 1959 film Operation Petticoat. "One morning, Cary sat down beside me," she recalls. "I told him, 'I don't think I should go down in the submarine because I'm pregnant—two months along!' Cary started crying, and it was a profound moment between us. At that point, he had never had a child, though he always longed for one. Years later, he finally welcomed Jennifer into his life."
Marion on Happy Days.
From Minnesota to Hollywood: The Journey of Marion Ross
At the age of 89, most people know Marion Ross as the iconic Mrs. Cunningham from Happy Days, a role she played for a decade. Now, in her memoir My Days: Happy and Otherwise, out March 27, she shares not only memories from the beloved sitcom but also the extraordinary highs and lows of her life. Her revelations may come as a surprise to fans, as she writes candidly about her difficult marriage to an alcoholic husband and the challenges she faced as a single mother. Yet, through it all, Marion’s resilience shines through. "I know how tough I am, how tenacious I am," she says. "Nothing can stop me." This determination was forged early in life, growing up as the middle child in Minnesota.
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Marion's younger brother, Gordon Ross, battled tuberculosis of the bone and spent much of his childhood in and out of hospitals. Feeling overshadowed and often overlooked, Marion found an inner drive that propelled her forward. "I attribute that to giving me a lot of drive," she explains. "I didn’t get any attention, but inside, there was somebody screaming, 'Look at me!' That makes you become an actress." At 21, she shocked her parents by eloping with fellow actor Freeman "Effie" Meskimen, setting the stage for a life filled with both triumphs and trials.
Marion and her late husband Paul.
The Trials of a Single Mom and Rising Star
As Marion's career began to take off—working alongside legends like Ginger Rogers, Cary Grant, and Clark Gable—her marriage to Effie became increasingly strained. She describes him as "an unmotivated, moody drinker," and they had
